Heuchera plant named ‘Peppermint’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant characterized by small, lightly veiled, deep green leaves, very short flowering stems of pink flowers, reblooming all spring, summer, and fall, small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and good vigor.

Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Peppermint’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucheraand given the cultivar name of ‘Peppermint’. Heuchera is in the familySaxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Peppermint’ is the end product of a plannedbreeding program to create miniature Heuchera for small pots. This newcultivar originated from a cross between Heuchera K413-1, a proprietarynon-commercial hybrid, as the seed parent, and Heuchera K388-4, aproprietary non-commercial hybrid, as, as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera K413-1, the new cultivar hasleaves that are green rather than amber and pink rather than white.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera K388-4, the new cultivar hasgreen leaves rather than red purple leaves.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Paris’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,881, the newcultivar has a much smaller habit, smaller flowers, and smaller darkergreen leaves.

This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:

-   -   1. small, lightly veiled, deep green leaves,    -   2. very short flowering stems of pink flowers,    -   3. reblooming all spring, summer, and fall,    -   4. small, multi-crowned, low mounding habit, and    -   5. good vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tipcuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a nine-month-old plant of the new cultivar growing in ahalf gallon container in a cool greenhouse in July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivarbased on observations of two-year-old specimens growing in half galloncontainers in a cool greenhouse in April in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degreesF. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfallin Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all basedon The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—10 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and            22 cm wide.        -   Habit.—Mounding.        -   Vigor.—Good.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Rosette.        -   Shape.—Broadly ovate to orbicular.        -   Number.—About 60.        -   Lobing/division.—5 to 7 lobes.        -   Venation.—Palmate.        -   Margins.—Crenate.        -   Apex.—Mucronulate.        -   Base.—Cordate and overlapping.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 5 cm long and 4.5 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—Glandular on top and bottom.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 8 cm long and 1.5 mm wide,            glandular hairs, Yellow Green 146A.        -   Leaf color.—Topside, spring leaves Green 137A darkening to            Green 139A some with a veil depending on environmental            conditions, White NN155C; winter leaves Green 139A with veil            White NN155C and dark veins; bottom side Yellow Green 147B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Size.—Grows to 3 cm wide and 5.5 cm long.        -   Type.—Thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—About 60.        -   Number of thyrse.—About 30 in the first spring flush,            reblooming all summer.        -   Peduncle.—Grows to 17 cm long, 2 mm wide at base, glandular            hairs, Yellow Green 147A.        -   Pedicel.—Variable in size, with glandular hairs, Greyed Red            178A.        -   Bloom period.—April through October in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—2 mm wide and 4 mm long.        -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, ovoid, down facing.        -   Color.—Red Purple 58D.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Perfect.        -   Shape.—Campanulate.        -   Size.—5 mm long and 2.3 mm wide.        -   Corolla description.—5 petals, 2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide,            reflexed, narrowly spatulate, margins entire, tip acute,            glabrous top and glandular on bottom, Red Purple 58D.        -   Calyx description.—Campanulate, 5 mm long and 2.3 mm wide,            with 5 lobes divided ½ way to the base, each 1 mm wide and 2            mm long, glandular hairs outside and glabrous inside, tips            obtuse, margin entire; color both sides Red Purple 62B.        -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 1.5 mm long,            White NN155C, anthers 0.2 mm, Orange 29B, no pollen, male            sterile.        -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide;            ovary 1.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, Yellow White 158D, style            2.5 mm long, White NN155C.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the            plant.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule.        -   Fertility.—Low.        -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C.        -   Size.—4 mm long and 3 mm wide.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—Linear.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Black 202A.-   Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the    genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have    been found in Canby, Oreg.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.